Aussie tennis great Pat Rafter has made a rare public appearance to be celebrated at the 2024 Queensland Sport Awards where he was officially elevated to legend status.
A two-time US Open Grand Slam winner, the 51-year-old was awarded the highest honour an athlete can receive in the state when he was named a ‘Legend of Queensland Sport’.
‘It does mean a lot to me… my name is now there forever now,’ said Rafter.
‘As you play sport, these things [awards] aren’t on your mind, you’re just concentrating on what you’re doing to be the best you can be. And then these come along and it’s just icing on the cake.
‘Seeing the athletes in there tonight also being inducted into the Hall of Fame, it’s just incredible,’ he said.
Rafter, who has been retired for more than 20 years, now resides in the Byron Bay hinterland with his family where he is enjoying the quiet life.
Pat Rafter (pictured with wife Lara, daughter India and son Joshua) at the 2024 Queensland Sport Awards
The tennis champion was named a ‘Legend of Queensland Sport’ at the ceremony
The father of two has been busy – his family has laid an estimated 7500 native plants and trees on their 26-hectare property – and also planted 10,000 eucalyptus trees in a bid to create a koala corridor and sanctuary.
‘I really love working the land, and it occupies a lot of my time,’ he told News Corp in May 2024.
‘It’s very important to us to regenerate the property back to what it once was, and we are doing it in segments.’
Seeing echidnas, bandicoots and swamp wallabies has become the norm, with Rafter and his wife Lara relishing the quiet life.
Their children – Joshua, 21, and India, 18 – have moved out as they look to launch their own careers and lives.
The former sporting heart-throb, who reached the world number one ranking in 1999, also discovered his family has a criminal past.
The Rafter’s appeared on the SBS show Who Do You Think You Are? with a historian revealing the tennis star’s great-grandfather on his father’s side was often in trouble with the law.
David Dee’s family came out to Australia from Ireland and settled in Townsville in 1875 as free immigrants – and the baker had a short fuse.
Rafter won two US Open titles in his career (pictured above, in the 1997 final) and was also world number one in 1999
Rafter lives a relaxed life these days with wife Lara in the Byron Bay hinterland
Dee was once charged by police with using profanity, with the offending words ‘bloody bugger and damn rascal.’
Court appearances and physical altercations followed, before Dee was jailed for four years after fighting another man.
His wife Teresa was left to raise five children – and after she found love elsewhere with her husband behind bars, Dee sadly died broke, estranged from his children and alone in Cairns back in 1918.
Rafter acknowledged Dee ‘made some really poor choices’ – but he was still fascinated to hear about his early family history.
He also confirmed he doesn’t play tennis much these days – but did compete at the recent Senior World Padel Championships in Spain – in the 50-54 men’s division.
Rafter also donated his time to The Big Freeze fundraiser at the MCG on June 10 before the AFL final.
The Big Freeze is an annual event organised by FightMND, a non-profit organisation dedicated to finding effective treatments and ultimately a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND).
‘Well, you know, it’s just supporting a great charity and a great cause and I know a few people who have been affected by MND and it’s a horrible, horrible disease,’ he said.
Rafter was once voted People’s Sexiest Athlete Alive, the same year he rose to stardom after his first US Open win in 1997 (pictured at the US open in 1998)
‘So just want to jump on board and see what happens… It seemed like a great idea at the time,’ he joked.
Pat was once voted People’s Sexiest Athlete Alive, the same year he rose to stardom after his first US Open win in 1997.
Since retiring, Pat went on to become an underwear model for Bonds, a brand ambassador for the Mantra Group of hotels and a successful businessman.
He was named Australian of the Year in 2002 – three years after winning the Davis Cup for his country.
After an impressive career, Pat was inducted into the tennis hall of fame in 2006.
His greatest accomplishments came at the US Open, where he won back to back titles in 1997 and 1998, propelling him to world no. 1 status in 1999.
